About this project

$25,712

pledged of $25,000 goal

150

backers

At Poplar
Wood Farm we love growing high quality produce more than anything. For the past
few years, we have focused on doing exactly that.

Prompted by
an extensive agricultural background and desire to own a business, Poplar Wood
Farm was founded by Al Esposito in 2001 in the scenic Highlands region of
Warren County, NJ. The farm has since been involved in a variety of
agricultural endeavors, challenges, and successes and has evolved into a fertile
hub for organically managed vegetables and flowers. Poplar Wood Farm provides
this delicious and beautiful produce to customers across New Jersey through
farmers markets and a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Program. We are
actively involved in the Northeast Organic Farmers Association of New Jersey.
We are also pursuing organic certification through the New Jersey Department of
Agriculture certification program.

Since we started, we have come a long way,
acquiring a tractor, implements, irrigation system, green house, and other equipment
and are now one step away from having everything we need to operate efficiently
and the capacity to grow more healthy food for the local community. We need to
produce a pole barn, one thing we can’t grow ourselves, and we need your
support to do it.

Why a Pole
Barn?

The building
will serve as the heart of our farm. It will enable us to clean, sort, pack
& store our vegetables and flowers in a more efficient manner. It will also
allow us to load our trucks under cover in inclement weather, store supplies in
a dry environment, work indoors on small building & maintenance projects in the winter and protect our
equipment from the elements in the off season
. In addition to the activities described above we will be able to host
small groups for educational workshops.

We are
currently limited by the size and location of our existing barn. Because of its
limitations, the process of cleaning, storing, and preparing our produce for
market is much more labor intensive. The space is undersized and our business
is expanding so we are in serious need of a better equipped space.

Having the
ability to wash, sort, and pack all under one roof streamlines our operation
and makes for lots of happy smiling faces when trying to meet delivery deadlines.
The barn will house a wash station consisting of stainless steel sinks and
drain tables. We will also be building a walk in cooler that will be heavily insulated
so that we can keep our energy usage to a minimum. We will be constructing this
unit ourselves utilizing a Coolbot to achieve professional grade cooling at a
more affordable cost. Coupled with the equipment and infrastructure that we
already have, this building will give Poplar Wood Farm the ability to operate
more efficiently and the capacity to expand and provide wholesome food to more
people.

Summary of Project
Expenses

Pole Barn
Structure: $14,480

Permit: $200

Excavating: $1,200

Floor:
$2,200

Electrical:
$2,475

Wash Station: $800

Walk–in Cooler
$1,600

Kickstarter Fees: $2,045

Total
$25,000

Join our community

Your participation in our pole barn project helps build our community
of like minded individuals intent on making a statement about food production
in the United States. Our success with this project will enable us to bring
more food grown using organic methods to the communities we serve. It will also
enable us to bring others to our farm, whether interns, volunteers,
shareholders or other farmers to learn about what we do and see how we do it.
This connection between the farm and community will strengthen the ties between
all involved.

The reality is that our region needs many more organic farms, projects
like this, and people willing to support them if our local food system is to
continue to grow. Food security and safety is a growing concern for many and this
project will advance our efforts to address those concerns.

Join us today to build this pole barn and build our regional food
based community.

Our videos
were produced by Jan McLaughlin and her team at Sounds Good, LLC. Throughout the
process, Jan’s experience, creativity, and flexibility were an excellent guide
and an asset to our project. We had a great experience with Sounds Good, LLC and
highly recommend them. For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/SoundsGoodLLC
and http://janmclaughlin.tv/vlog/.

Risks and challenges

There are always risks associated with new construction projects, including the following:
Completing the project on schedule – We intend to have the barn complete by May so that it is operational through the heart of our growing season. Weather conditions may slow or stop progress in the early spring.
Completing the project within budget.

Mitigants
Our many years managing landscape design / build projects gives us the experience to manage this project effectively and respond to unexpected changes.
We have padded our timeline with a couple of extra weeks to allow for weather related or other unexpected construction slowdown.
We have researched construction materials pricing and spoken with all parties who will be involved in construction in order to accurately project all costs.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $10 or more
About $10

Receive a personal note of gratitude on one of our farm scene notecards featuring the artwork of Poplar Wood Farm’s artist and professional oil painter, Madeline Taranto, and HUGE thank you on our web site.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $25 or more
About $25

Receive a collection of 5 local farm scene notecards (blank inside) featuring the artwork of Poplar Wood Farm’s own resident artist and professional oil painter, Madeline Taranto. An opportunity for you to enjoy the beauty that surrounds our farm.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $35 or more
About $35

Get your garden growing with some of our favorite transplants, your choice of a collection of 6 heirloom tomato transplants or 6 garden herb transplants shipped to your door in time for spring planting, these plants are grown by us in our greenhouse using organic methods. We'll choose a selection of our favorites and include planting and care instructions.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $60 or more
About $60

Farmers Market Package - receive the market tote bag and a $20 gift certificate that you can use to fill your bag with our fresh veggies. Gift certificate can be used at our stand at any of our farmers markets.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $65 or more
About $65

Two tickets to our pole barn opening celebration ceremony! Sort of like an old fashioned barn raising, only the work will be done before you arrive! See the product that your contribution helped make possible. Plus your choice of a tee or market bag described above.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $100 or more
About $100

Vegetable garden consultation with Farmer Al. Want to start or improve your existing vegetable garden but don't know where to start? Send in your questions and photos and Farmer Al will respond with suggestions on how to create a veggie garden extraordinaire. Consultation will be via e-mail

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $250 or more
About $250

Farmer For a Day. You and a guest will spend a day at Poplar Wood Farm with Farmer Al. This educational day will be filled with conversation and farm and garden highlights and give you the opportunity to experience Poplar Wood Farm firsthand. Take home transplants for your own garden, receive an invite to the pole barn opening celebration ceremony and a Poplar Wood Farm tee or market bag for you and your guest.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $550 or more
About $550

A season of our fresh vegetables, a half share in our 2013 Community Supported Agriculture program and a Poplar Wood Farm tee or market bag, plus an invite to the pole barn opening celebration ceremony. See our website, www.poplarwoodfarm.com, for complete CSA details and pick up locations.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $950 or more
About $950

A season of our fresh vegetables, a full share in our 2013 Community Supported Agriculture program plus a Poplar Wood Farm tee shirt or market bag and an invite to our pole barn opening celebration ceremony. See our website, www.poplarwoodfarm.com, for complete CSA details and pick up locations.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $2,495 or more
About $2,495

Poplar Wood Farm All Star Status! Choice of a framed original oil painting by Madeline Taranto up to 11''x14'' (see http://madelinetaranto.com for more examples), a full share in our 2013 CSA Program, five tickets to our pole barn opening celebration, tee shirt or market bag, farmer for a day reward, and collection of farm scene notecards. If you are not local, we will donate the CSA share to a local food bank.